The Green Elf Who Saved Christmas

When Santa's reindeer get sick just before Christmas Eve, he has to do something to save Christmas for the children around the world. It means asking for help from someone he hasn't spoke to in a century; but for the children Santa will swallow his pride.
This story was written in response to future author's short story Christmas contest.

Submitted:Dec 3, 2012
Reads: 711
Comments: 15
Likes: 10

Santa and his elves worked feverously to finish all the toys and
bikes and assorted items that were on the lists of children all
around the world.

The workshop bustled with elves wrapping gifts and filling bags
of goodies; and the excitement was growing by the minute for
everyone at the North Pole. Carols were played throughout the
workshop to keeps spirits high; and elves energetic.

This year; like hundreds before them was coming together with
precision; and Santa went about checking his list and making sure
not one child was forgotten. Susie's doll, the one with braided
blond hair and pink checkered dress with white shoes, was
carefully put into Santa's bag. Next, came the red fire truck for
little Bobby and the train set for his big brother Jeff, and so
it went until the big green bag was brimming over with an array
of splendid new toys.

It was one week until Christmas Eve and Santa went out to the
Reindeer stable to give his sleigh team their supper of fine
grains and apples.

He came first to Rudolf; who seemed to be a little under the
weather. His nose appeared more amber than red and when Santa
filled the trough with food; Rudolph just shook his head.

"Santa, I am not feeling well. I think I must be coming down with
something because I….ah, ahhhh chooo!"

"Oh Dear," cried Santa. I hope you're feeling better soon Rudolph
or you may have to stay here at the North Pole this Christmas.
Just get plenty of rest, and I'll be checking on you later."

As Santa approached the stall that belonged to Dancer, he heard a
loud sneeze and then a cough.

"Dancer was that you? Don't tell me that you're getting sick
too!"

Dancer lifted his head and nodded, "I'm afraid so Santa and the
others aren't feeling well either. Prancer nearly blew his
antlers off a minute ago with a sneeze!"

Santa took great pride in keeping his reindeer team healthy and
to hear they were all getting sick was unsetting to say the
least.

He pulled out his cell phone and dialed the best Veterinarian in
all the North Pole. Well, in thruth he was the only
Veterinarian in the North Pole; but that's neither here nor
there.

A short time later, Dr. Basil Hoofendorker arrived in Christmas
Town and went straight to the stables. He proceeded to listen
through his stethoscope and shine a light in the reindeer's ears;
thumping on their sides and asking them to take deep breaths and
blow them out again.

Santa waited impatiently while the Doctor took their temperatures
and felt their noses. He finally finished his examinations of all
the reindeer and approached the anxious old elf dressed in red
pants, white shirt and black suspenders. I mean, I shouldn't have
to describe Santa to anyone; but oh well.

"Well Santa, it's just as I suspected; I'm afraid the reindeer
have Deertruimbolitis!"

"Great Ghosts of Christmas past and present; what does that mean!
Are my reindeer going to be alright? How serious is this
condition Doctor Hoofendorker; and can you cure them?"

"Now settle down Santa, they will be alright; what they have is
reindeer flu and it has to run its course I'm afraid. They surely
won't be well enough to fly on Christmas Eve though."

Santa tugged at his long fluffy white beard and thanked the
Doctor for his diagnosis.

"Just give them plenty of fluids and make sure they rest. They
should be right as rain in a couple of weeks." With that, the
good Dr. Basil Hoofendorker jumped on his snow mobile and left.

Santa went back to the workshop to break the news to all the
elves and Mrs. Claus.

"I'm afraid we may have to cancel Christmas this year. Without my
reindeer I have no way to travel around the world and deliver all
these presents to the boys and girls." Santa wiped a tear from
his eyes.

There was a collective gasp from the elves upon hearing that
Santa would have to cancel Christmas. They all whispered and
sighed as they stood looking like the little boy who just dropped
his ice cream cone on the ground. They hadn't been this sad since
the other reindeer wouldn't let Rudolph join in any of their
reindeer games.

"Surely there must be some other way to get the presents to the
children Santa," said Mrs. Claus.

"Maybe we could UPS them to the children, or maybe we could
charter a plane and drop them in with parachutes!" chimed in
Doofus Elf.

"Oh please, Doofus use your head for something other than to
balance your shoulders!" yelled Grumpy Elf. And before you ask,
yes; he used to hang out with Snow White before he got laid off
and came to work for Santa.

"Well, I don't hear you coming up with any bright ideas Mr.
Smartypants," Doofus replied.

"Now now, Elves; I appreciate the suggestion Doofus, but UPS
would be to slow and well, dropping gifts from a plane would not
be accurate; not to mention the broken toys that children would
wake up to on Christmas morning."

"See, I told ya, what dumb ideas you have Doofus!" Grumpy said.

Santa looked over at Grumpy and touched his finger to his nose,
while peering over the rim of his spectacles. Although he never
spoke a word, Grumpy knew what that look meant.

He was getting dangerously close to being demoted back to the
stuffing room; where all the stuffed animal toys were stuffed
with cotton.

He hated that job! It made his nose itchy and the bears always
came out lumpy. The quality control inspectors would send them
back and he'd have to stuff them all over again.

"Sorry Santa, sorry Doofus," he said meekly, as he slinked away
to his desk where the trucks were assembled.

"You know, there is one solution to the problem; and although I
know you hate to ask him, it could save Christmas for the
children Santa," Mrs. Claus said, laying her hand gently on his
arm.

"No, absolutely and positively no, I will never ask him
for help!" Santa replied.

"So your pride is greater than your love for the children; is
that it you big bellied old coot?"

Mrs. Claus never spoke in that way to Santa and he was quite
taken by surprise at her remark. She was always supportive of him
and spoke in the sweetest of voice as she served him delicious
meals that would fatten him up for the long night of flying
around the world.

He loved it when she called him "Snookums" and gave him that
special wink of hers. Now she was calling him a 'big bellied old
coot' and he knew he better smarten up pretty quick.

"Oh alright, I'll go and talk to him; but I'm not promising you
anything will come from it. You know what a reindeer's behind
that man is."

Mrs. Claus smiled and gave him that wink; and so off he went to a
place he hadn't visited in at least a century. He got in his
motorized mini-sleigh that he used to get around to all the
workshops in Christmas Town and headed to the home of the Green
Elf of Tinsel Town. No, not that Tinsel Town; there were
no casinos where he was going.

He entered town through the big rainbow that served as an arch
over the town. On either side there sat large pots filled with
gold coins. Still a show off I see.

He gathered up all the gumption he could muster and rang the
doorbell. He heard the chimes play a When Irish Eyes Are Smiling,
as he waited for someone to come to the door.

What dummy plays When Irish Eyes Are Smiling at Christmas
time? Oh yeah, HE does!

The door swung open and there stood the Green Elf himself;
dressed in his green pants and his green coat, trimmed in…you
guessed it, green fur; and wearing that gaudy gold buckle on his
belt.

"Hello Green," was all Santa said.

"Hello Santa," was Green Elf's only reply.

After both men, or elves to be precise, stood there staring each
other down for what seemed like an eternity; Santa finally broke
the silence.

"Well, can I come inside or you want me to stand out here on the
porch to talk to you?"

"Humph," he replied, and stepped back to allow Santa to enter.
"What brings you here Santa; seeing as how you haven't set foot
nor hoof around here in ages?" He hiked up his pants as he led
Santa to the parlor.

"Don't give yourself a wedgy Green; I wouldn't be here now if
Mrs. Claus hadn't begged me to come."

"How is that dear lady doing? You don't deserve a beauty like her
you old white bearded goat."

That was twice in one day someone had insulted him and Santa was
getting plenty tired of it.

"Never you mind how my wife is doing; you old bow-legged
leprechaun. I came here to ask you for he… what I mean to say is,
I came here to ask you for he; …tarnation and blue feathered
chickens, I can't bring myself to say the word!" Santa stuttered.

"Hmmm, could that word you're searching for be help? Has
the great Santa Claus come to ask his brother for help?" He
chuckled.

You could see the resemblance in the belly; old Green Elf's belly
shook like a bowl of Jello when he laughed.

"I can see that this was a mistake; I shouldn't have come here
today. If it weren't for a world of disappointed children I would
have gone another century without seeing you!"

"Oh relax Santa, before your burst an artery under that beard of
yours. Doctor Hoofendorker came by yesterday to warn me about the
deer flu that's going around. I thought maybe you might come to
see me."

"Then you know my reindeer are sick and won't be able to travel
this Christmas? I thought maybe; that is to say, if you were
willing to let bygones be bygones, and see your way clear to give
me some of that leprechaun fairy dust, I could keep from
disappointing the children."

Santa's brother put his hands behind his back and paced back and
forth for a few minutes; obviously in deep thought. He wanted to
see Santa squirm a little too.

"Are you willing to admit you were wrong when you called me a
gold digging scrooge who didn't' have a heart when it comes to
the spirit of giving? Hmmm, are you willing to do that Santa?"

Santa's eyes squinted tightly; and his spectacles nearly slid off
his nose as he heaved a heavy sigh.

"I don't recall saying all that exactly; I think I said something
more like; with all that gold you have you might spread it around
a bit to help the needy. You know; instead of making the poor
buggers chase you all over creation, trying to catch you before
giving a pot of it away." Santa stammered.

"Oh no, I remember your words precisely and you called me a gold
digging scrooge. Now are you willing to take it back or not?"

As much as the jolly old elf hated to admit when he was wrong; he
took a deep breath of air and gulped down his pride for the sake
of Christmas.

"Oh all right, I was wrong to say those things to you Green. I
suppose we both give in our own ways; and I apologize most
sincerely for what I said." Santa said.

"Apology accepted. And I apologize for saying what a complete
idiot you look like running around in a red suit and sliding down
chimneys."

Green Elf went to the shelf by the fireplace and took down an old
weathered box that had a four leaf clover carved into the lid. He
turned the lock with a small gold key and took out a green velvet
bag of fairy dust and handed it to Santa.

"Just sprinkle the dust over your sleigh and a reindeer team will
appear to carry your sleigh on Christmas Eve. Just make sure you
return and land at Christmas Town by the time the sun rises;
because the reindeer will disappear when the sun hits their
backs."

"No wait…I might be confusing you with Cinderella's pumpkin
carriage. Well, to be on the safe side maybe you should be back
before morning." He said, scratching his head.

Santa took the bag of fairy dust and stuffed it inside his coat.
He stood there for a moment, with tears welling up in his eyes,
as he looked at his brother.

"Tell your fairies I will leave something for them under their
Toad Stools this Christmas; and for you as well brother."

With that, he opened his arms wide and the two brothers exchanged
an awkward and brief hug, before Santa left to go home to
Christmas Town.

Mrs. Claus was so proud of Santa that she served him a double
portion of her raisin and spice rice pudding that night. It
wasn't exactly what he had in mind as a reward for going to see
his brother; but it was his favorite dessert.

On Christmas Eve, Santa did as his brother told him; sprinkling
the fairy dust over his sleigh. Sure enough; a whole team of
reindeers appeared ready to take him to the houses of children
all over the world.

Who would have thought that a Leprechaun would ever save
Christmas? Who knew that Santa and the Irish Green Elf were
brothers? Who knows why Green called his home Tinsel Town? How
the heck did Santa's reindeers catch deer flu? It's just one of
those things that gets forgotten in history I suppose. Until
someone like me comes along to tell the facts! Merry Christmas
all!